


Sleeping Evil

by AlElizabeth



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Family, Horror, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-10-25 02:47:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10755150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlElizabeth/pseuds/AlElizabeth
Summary: Sam unearths an ancient evil that was hidden away in the Bunker for years. On top of everything else, Dean must find a way to trap the entity before it can kill his brother. Set in Season 12 prior to Episode 18. Written for mandancie's birthday!





	1. Right On For The Darkness

"Hey Sammy! Where are you?"

Dean called, munching away at the last slice of apple pie as he wandered down the hallway in the Bunker that led to his and his brother's bedrooms.

"Down here!" Sam shouts in response, his voice quiet and muffled.

Shoving the final bite of pie onto his mouth, Dean frowned and turned around, heading towards the hallway that led to the staircase that led to the Bunker's dungeon.

What was Sam doing down there?

The door at the top of the staircase that led into the basement was open but there was no light coming from the room below.

"Sam?" Dean called again and waited for a response.

"Here!" his brother yelled up from deeper in the room the bottom of the stairs, slightly irritated.

The elder sibling's frown deepened. He hadn't been mistaken; Sam was in the Bunker's dungeon for some reason.

There was a naked light bulb with a chain to pull hanging just inside the doorway. Dean grabbed the end of the chain, turning the light on before starting down the steps.

As Dean headed down the staircase, he could hear the distinct sound of boots against concrete and the crunch and shriek of breaking wood, and he picked up his pace.

"Sam, what are you doing down here?" Dean asked, peering into the dungeon.

"I'm over here," Sam replied, his volume now quiet.

Dean turned around and only then noticed his sibling crouched and peering intently into the space beneath the stairs.

"What are you doing?" the older brother asked and peered down at the shadowy space under the staircase.

"There's a door here," Sam explained without looking at his sibling, "It was boarded up. I never noticed it before."

Dean now noticed that there were pieces of broken boards on the concrete at Sam's feet, a claw hammer dangled from his brother's hand.

"Yeah," Dean murmured and straightened up, "Whatever. Let's go back upstairs."

Sam peered up at him, his hazel eyes glinting in the dim light coming down from the bulb at the top of the stairs.

"Don't you want to know what's inside?"

Dean shrugged, "Not really. Probably dusty old books or something just as boring. These guys were Men of Letters, remember? Not Indiana Jones. You're not going to find any hidden treasure."

Sam smiled slightly but glanced again at the door beneath the stairs.

"Okay," he replied and stood, brushing dust from the knees of his jeans, hammer still in one hand.

Casually, Dean took the tool from his brother and led the way back upstairs.

"Has Mom texted you lately?" Sam asked once they were back on the main floor of the Bunker.

Dean shook his head and closed the door to the dungeon.

His brother's mouth turned down slightly. Despite Sam's idea to work with the British Men of Letters, he didn't like his mother's long silences.

As though he knew what his sibling was thinking, Dean grinned, "Mom's a big girl, Sammy, she can take care of herself."

"I know," Sam muttered, "I just…"

"Don't trust them," Dean finished.

Sam nodded somewhat sheepishly.

"You know we can duck out anytime you want," Dean commented, swinging the hammer in his hand lazily.

Sam shook his head, "No, they may not be completely trustworthy but they are trying to do something good."

Dean grunted noncommittally and changed the subject.

"Want a beer?"

"Sure," his brother replied and followed him into the kitchen, Dean leaving the claw hammer on a table in the main room as they passed through.

SPN

Sam didn't know what woke him up.

It was late at night; his alarm clock read one thirty-seven in the morning.

Everything was quiet. Sitting up in bed, he brushed his hair back from his brow and peered around his room.

The red glow of the digital numbers on his clock showed that he was alone in his room and nothing was out of place.

Sighing, the hunter got up from his bed, deciding he wanted a drink of water before going back to sleep.

Bare feet padding silently down the hallway, the younger Winchester walked towards the kitchen.

Passing his brother's room, Sam noticed a line of light illuminating the bottom of the closed door. Without pause, the hunter continued on his way, making his way into the main room of the Bunker. Despite the darkness Sam navigated between the tables expertly.

Entering the kitchen and turning on the light from the switch beside the doorway, the hunter took a glass cup down from the cupboard and ran the tap above the sink until the water was icy cold. Once the water was the correct temperature, Sam turned off the tap, leaned against the sink and drank the liquid in three quick swallows.

From his position, he could look into the main room of the Bunker. In the light spilling from the kitchen, Sam could see the claw hammer Dean had left sitting on one of the tables.

Finishing his water, Sam set the empty glass in the sink and stood in the doorway to the kitchen, pausing for a moment and thinking.

He had forgotten all about the hidden door beneath the stairs but the sight of the hammer piqued his interest again.

Dean was probably right and there was nothing down there but moldering books but he wouldn't know for sure unless he opened the door.

Not ready to go back to bed just yet and curious about what was in the tiny room beneath the stairs, Sam entered the main room of the Bunker, leaving the kitchen light on. Picking up the hammer as he passed, the younger Winchester headed down the hallway towards the staircase that led into the dungeon.

SPN

Dean woke suddenly, startled awake.

Sitting up in bed, the hunter gazed wide-eyed around his bedroom but saw he was alone. Relaxing somewhat, he was about to close his eyes again and go back to sleep when something stopped him.

He wasn't sure why, but his 'big brother' sense was telling him to go check on his sibling.

Though he would like nothing more than to ignore the feeling of unease and go back to sleep, Dean couldn't deny that his sense was usually right when it came to his brother.

Grunting in irritation, the elder Winchester left the warmth and comfort of his bed and made his way down the hallway to his sibling's room.

Noticing Sam's door was ajar, Dean pushed it open the rest of the way and peered into the bedroom. Even in the dim light cast by the alarm clock numbers, Dean should have been able to see the outline of his slumbering sibling. Instead, he caught sight of rumpled blankets and no brother.

Knowing that Sam sometimes woke up in the middle of the night for a drink of water, Dean decided to wait for a moment or two and catch his sibling on his way back to his room.

Dean waited one minute, two minutes, three minutes. He waited a total of seven minutes, checking the time using his brother's alarm clock, but Sam did not return.

Frowning, the elder Winchester pulled his brother's bedroom door closed and headed down the hallway towards the kitchen.

SPN

The old stairs didn't even creak beneath Sam's feet as he walked down them, despite his weight, and he smiled slightly, hammer gripped tightly in one hand.

Stepping off the stairs and onto the concrete floor of the basement- a chill quickly seeping into his bare feet- Sam turned to the side of the staircase and felt relief to see that the door he'd revealed the day before was still there.

Crouching before the door, Sam reached out and grasped the cold, brass knob. It slid through his hand as he tried to turn it; the door was locked and he didn't have the key.

Unperturbed, the hunter raised the blunt end of the hammer and brought it down on the doorknob. A dull bong sounded out as the hammer struck the knob, but Sam didn't think it was loud enough to wake his brother.

Hitting the doorknob for a second time, Sam heard the wood around the handle splintering and raised the hammer for a third time.

By the fourth strike, the doorknob was damaged enough for the hunter to rip it out of the wood and push the door open. The wood shrieked with age and disuse as Sam pushed the door inwards. Peering intently into the dark room, the young man saw nothing. Frowning, slightly disappointed, he made to stand so he could get a flashlight.

"Hey," a voice by his ear and a hand on his shoulder startled the hunter and he jumped.

"Relax," Dean chuckled, "It's just me. I thought you might be down here."

"I couldn't sleep," Sam told him.

"What'd you find," Dean asked.

"Dunno, can't see anything. I was just about to go upstairs and get a-"

Dean turned on a penlight and smiled, "Got it from the kitchen. Thought you might need it."

Sam nodded and took the light, "Thanks."

Turning his attention back to the room, the younger Winchester shone the penlight into the space, frowning.

It was empty.

Well, not completely empty. Carved into the cement floor were strange symbols the hunter didn't recognize and a old-fashioned lantern sitting upright in the center of the room.

"Hm," Dean muttered, "Well, that's underwhelming. Too bad. Let's go back to bed, I'm exhausted."

Sam remained as he was for a moment, shining the light into the small space, frowning.

"Okay," he muttered and stood, turning off the penlight and shoving it into the pocket of his pants.

Disappointed that there hadn't been anything interesting in the room beneath the stairs, Sam followed his brother to the main floor of the Bunker, suddenly remembering that it was still the middle of the night and that he should be sleeping.

Yawning, Sam bid goodnight to his sibling, heading down the hallway to his bedroom to sleep for a few more hours.


	2. Living Nightmare

Dean woke to the rich, aromatic familiar scent of coffee. Stretching luxuriously in bed, the hunter allowed himself a moment's peace before his troubles came rushing back like a tsunami.

Frowning, Dean sat up and raked a hand through his short-cropped hair and sighed. What was that saying about time and tide waiting for no man? Well, neither did the birth of Lucifer's little hellion.

Standing, Dean made his way over to the straight-backed chair sitting in one corner of his room, nearly hidden beneath by a mountain of clothing he was too lazy to put away properly.

Grabbing a navy blue t-shirt, the hunter sniffed the article and decided it didn't smell too bad before slipping it on, picking a blue and grey flannel button-up next. Jeans with dried mud caked to the bottoms came next- those were the nicest Dean could find- and finally his boots that had definitely seen better days.

Now that he was presentable, Dean left his room and headed down the hallway, not even thinking about the strange room beneath the staircase Sam had discovered the night before.

As soon as the hunter stepped into the Bunker's main room, Sam, who sitting at the table with his laptop, looked up and closed its lid, shoving the computer to the side before greeting him.

"Coffee's in the kitchen."

"When did you get up?" Dean asked as he turned towards the doorway to the kitchen.

Sam shrugged, "Couple of hours ago."

Dean nodded, "Any word from Cas or Mom?"

Sam shook his head and took a sip of coffee from his mug.

"Figures," Dean muttered, ruminating sourly on the fact that both the angel and their mother only deigned to communicate with them at sporadic intervals, leaving the two hunters to their own devices more often than not.

Stepping into the kitchen, the hunter poured himself a mug of coffee from the pot and leaned against the counter for a moment, savoring the hot beverage for a moment.

They had so much on their plate right now, with the birth of Lucifer's nephilim baby getting closer and the British Men of Letters always looming in the background, Dean almost longed for the days when it seemed all he and Sam did was gank the monster of the week.

Sighing, the hunter exited the kitchen and sat across from his sibling.

"What's on for today?" Dean asked, looking pointedly at the laptop, "Found Kelly Kline yet?"

Sam shook his head, "I was, uh, playing Solitaire."

Dean just stared at his brother for a moment before taking a drink from his cup of coffee.

"There are no signs that she's had her baby yet, Dean!" Sam exclaimed, immediately defensive, "And without word from Mom… we can't do much, can we?"

"Take it easy, Sammy," Dean commented, slightly hurt, "I was just asking."

The younger Winchester didn't respond and instead took a large gulp of his own coffee.

Dean grabbed his sibling's laptop and pulled it over to himself, opening the lid before Sam's could protest.

Instead of the screen opening up on a game of Solitaire, it showed that Sam had multiple tabs up with what looked like research.

"Dean-" Sam began but his brother interrupted him, "What are you looking at?"

"I was just… curious… about those symbols in the dungeon, wanted to know what they might be," Sam muttered, as though he was getting scolded, "I've never seen them before."

Dean said nothing, closed all of the tabs his brother had opened before bringing up Youtube.

W

"I'm gonna go lay down for a little bit," Sam told Dean an hour and a half later, getting up from the table slowly.

"You okay?" Dean asked. For the past ninety minutes the brother had been searching Youtube for funny videos but Dean had felt that he was the only one enjoying them; Sam very quiet as he watched people making fools of themselves just for the subscribers.

At first Dean had thought his brother was pissed at him for deleting all his research, but then realized that that wasn't quite right.

"Yeah, fine," Sam muttered; he seemed to be muttering a lot this morning, "I'm just tired. Didn't get much sleep last night, you know?"

Dean nodded, "Okay. Want me to wake you for lunch?"

Sam shook his head and left the room quietly.

The older brother returned his attention to the video he was watching and soon forgot all about his sibling.

SPN

Sam sat on the edge of his bed and let out a breath out slowly.

He felt tired, exhausted really but wasn't quite sure why. Certainly one night without sleep wouldn't leave him feeling so drained.

Shifting his shoulders, Sam frowned. He felt as though he were carrying a heavy burden. He wasn't sure he had felt this way only the day before.

It's everything that's going on, he told himself, with Mom and Kelly and Cas.

Sighing, the hunter lay down on his bed and closed his eyes, asleep within moments.

SPN

The Lidérc perched atop the slumbering human, watching him with keen, cruel interest.

The monster had been trapped for many years in the tiny room beneath the stairs in the Bunker and as a result was in a weakened state. Digging its gnarled claws into the hunter's shoulders, the Lidérc knew that now that it had attached itself to a victim, it would not be long before it regained its strength.

Clicking its sharp beak happily, the monster settled its body just below the nape of Sam's neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from a song by God Forbid.  
> The Lidércc is a monster from Hungarian folklore.  
> Please leave Kudos or a Comment.


	3. Dream Evil

"Hey Sam, you feeling okay?" Dean's voice cut through the haze in his brother's mind and the younger man lifted his head at his sibling.

"Just tired," Sam mumbled, his gaze dropping to his untouched bowl of cereal.

Dean said nothing, bringing a large spoonful of cereal to his mouth and chewing thoughtfully.

"Are you sleeping all right?" the older brother asked after some time.

Sam shrugged, "Yeah… no…. not really."

"What's going on?" It had been two days since Sam had found that strange hidden room beneath the stairs to the dungeon and in that short time his demeanor had changed dramatically.

"I've been having nightmares," Sam told his brother.

Dean's concern deepened, "About what?"

His sibling raised his hazel eyes to his face and for one horrible moment Dean thought his brother was going to say 'Hell' but instead almost whispered, "Mom… and Cas… dying… Lucifer winning…"

The older Winchester let out a breath; his brother's bad dreams weren't much different from the ones he was having- not that he'd ever tell Sam he was also having nightmares- and he relaxed somewhat.

"You know that's not going to happen, right?" Dean said, "The Devil is not going to win. Not now, not ever. And Mom, she knows how to take care of herself. She's been doing that since before we were born."

Sam nodded tiredly.

"I know Dean," he agreed, "But that doesn't stop them."

The older sibling nodded in sympathy, "I know."

"Are you going to finish eating?" he asked Sam in order to change the subject.

"Nah," the younger man replied and Dean took his bowl when he'd finished his own breakfast, dumping the uneaten cereal into the kitchen sink and turning on the garborator.

SPN

The Lidérc watched the older hunter carefully from over Sam's shoulder.

The other human knew something was wrong. But before he realized what was going on, if he ever did, it would be too late.

The hunter the monster was attached to was strong and would give it more than enough energy to escape the confines of the Bunker soon.

SPN

"You wanna-" Dean began, exiting the kitchen, but stopped when he spied his brother with his head resting on the table in the main room, eyes closed.

Sighing, Dean reached out and shook his brother's shoulder. The younger man woke slowly.

"Sam, what's wrong with you? I was gone five minutes," Dean asked, trying not to sound too concerned.

"I'm fine," Sam assured him, brushing his bangs away from his forehead.

Not believing him, Dean pressed his palm to his sibling's brow but Sam wasn't running a temperature.

"You know what you need?" Dean asked and Sam peered at him, one eyebrow raised.

"What?"

"Iron," Dean commented, "Tonight I'll cook us up some big, juicy steaks and you're going to eat some red meat."

His brother made a face but Dean ignored it, "Just humour me, okay?"

Sam nodded distractedly, "I think I'm going to go for a walk, get some fresh air."

"Okay," Dean said, "Don't go too far."

His brother waved a hand at him in response as he headed towards the metal staircase that led out of the Bunker.

SPN

Outside for the first time in many years, the Lidérc raised its bat-like wings and flapped them, feeling the air pass through the thin membrane of skin between its fingers.

Although it was not yet strong enough to leave its current victim, the monster was content to wait until it had completely drained the hunter before moving on.

Despite the forest that surrounded the Bunker, the scent of humans pervaded the area, telling the Lidérc that it would not have to wait long before finding another victim.

SPN

Sam shielded his eyes from the sunlight with one hand as he walked to the edge of the wooded area that surrounded and hid the Bunker from all but the occasional hiker or camper.

Sitting heavily on an old fallen tree at the edge of the forest, the hunter sighed and shook his head, trying and failing to dislodge the fatigue that enveloped him.

Maybe Dean's right and I just need some steak, he thought, though he had never seemed to be iron deficient before. He was careful to eat a balanced diet that would keep him strong and healthy.

He knew it was more likely the lack of sleep he'd had for the past two days, the rest he did get plagued by nightmares the likes of which he had not experienced since Cas had destroyed the wall in his mind and memories of Hell had surged through unchecked.

He would eat Dean's steak though, if only to put his brother's fears to rest and decided that he would take a sleep aide before going to bed that night.

Resolved to stop this before it got worse- they did not need him getting sick right now- Sam stood and stretched, slowly making his way back to the Bunker.

SPN

"MOM! NO!" Sam cried out helplessly as he watched Mary die right before his eyes, unable to save her.

A strange laughing invaded his nightmare, sounding oddly like the clucking like a chicken…

Sitting up in bed, drenched in cold sweat, the hunter peered around his room, breathing hard.

"Damn," the hunter muttered and raked his damp bangs away from his forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from a song by Dio.  
> Please take a moment to leave a Comment or Kudos!


	4. The Nightmare Unravels

"Sam? Sam! Can you hear me? Open your eyes! Sammy!" Dean grabbed his brother's shoulder and shook it forcefully.

His sibling did not open his eyes but groaned to let Dean know he was still alive.

Pressing two fingers to his brother's neck, Dean felt for his sibling's pulse, finding it weak and thready.

"Sam? SAM!" Dean leaned down, his nose almost touching his brother's as he yelled in his face.

What the hell was going on? Dean wondered. It was four days since Sam had found that weird room beneath the stairs and he had only been acting more and more out of sorts.

Shaking his head, Dean curled his hand into a fist and pressed his knuckles hard against Sam's sternum, rubbing up and down in quick motions.

His brother groaned again and his eyes opened halfway.

"D'n… do'n," Sam muttered, his voice barely audible.

The older sibling stared down at the younger in disbelief. Sam's face was pale and beaded with sweat; dark circles had formed beneath his eyes and he barely moved even as Dean continued to push his knuckles into his sternum painfully.

"That's it, I'm calling an ambulance," Dean muttered to himself and pulled out his cell phone, ready to dial 911.

He hesitated though, this didn't feel right but it didn't feel as though this was a normal illness. Sam had no fever. As far as Dean knew, he'd had no vomiting or diarrhea. On second thought, Dean didn't think there would be much a doctor could do for his brother. Instead of dialing the paramedics, the hunter called Castiel.

The phone rang and rang and rang.

When Cas' recorded voice told him to leave a message, Dean did: "Cas, call me back as soon as you get this. Sam's sick… and I think he needs your help."

Shoving his phone back into his pocket, Dean sat down on the bed beside his sibling and struggled to find a reason for his brother's mysterious condition.

They hadn't been around anyone who was ill, nor had they hunted any witches recently. There was no chance Sam had picked up some sort of contagion or a witch had hidden a hex bag in his room or on his person.

That room under the stairs!

Nearly a week had passed since Dean had found his sibling fighting to get a peek inside the room concealed beneath the staircase that led to the dungeon.

Why had it been boarded up in the first place?

Dean recalled there had been nothing inside but for a series of strange symbols and an old-fashioned lantern.

"I'm an idiot," Dean growled and stood. Why hadn't he thought of that before? They were in one of the strongholds of the Men of Letters; who was to say they hadn't trapped something in that small space under the stairs and boarded it up to keep the nosy out?

"I'll be right back, Sammy," Dean murmured to his brother- Sam didn't respond- and dashed out of his brother's room to get his laptop.

Grabbing the computer, still sitting on one of the tables in the main room where Sam had left it, Dean hurried back to his brother's bedside and sat down.

Booting up the laptop and typing in his sibling's password, Dean opened up the Internet and pulled up his brother's browsing history, looking for the research Sam had been doing on the symbols found with the lantern.

As Dean searched frantically for the pages his brother had been looking at only days before, Sam groaned beside him and stirred weakly.

Tearing his gaze away from the computer, Dean placed a hand on his brother's chest comfortingly.

"Don't worry, Sammy," he murmured, "I'm gonna fix this, I'm gonna find out what's wrong."

SPN

The Lidérc's greasy feathers rose in ire as it narrowed its yellow eyes at the hunter. It was almost strong enough to be rid of its current victim, almost, but not quite. Digging its wicked claws deeper into the young man's shoulders, the monster redoubled its efforts to drain the hunter of his life force should his brother find out just what had attached to him.

SPN

"Here we are," Dean muttered to himself as he found the pages Sam had been looking at, ancient symbols and writings the hunter didn't understand the focus of his sibling's search.

"Sumerian… Babylonian…" Dean quickly skimmed the pages, finding that none of the writings looked right.

Suddenly, the chords to 'Smoke on the Water' sounded from Dean's pocket and he jumped, so focused on the laptop he'd completely forgotten he'd called Cas.

Fishing his phone from his pocket, Dean's heart leaped at the angel's name on the caller ID.

"Cas! Am I glad to hear from you!" he exclaimed before his friend could even begin to speak.

"What's wrong with Sam?" the angel asked, "Are you alone? Is Mary with you?"

"Mom's still with the Brits," Dean told him, "It's just the two of us."

"What happened?" the angel asked again.

Dean took a breath and told his friend everything he knew, about the room beneath the stairs, about his brother's strange fatigue and weakness; the angel listening without interrupting.

"A lantern?" Cas asked when Dean had finished.

"Yeah, and some strange writing," the hunter reiterated.

"I believe your brother has a Lidérc attached to him," the angel informed the hunter.

For a moment Dean felt elation at finally being able to put a name to what was happening his brother but then he frowned, "What's that? A monster?"

"Yes," Castiel told him, "They normally only live in Hungary and Eastern Europe so I don't know why the American Men of Letters should have one-"

"Doesn't matter," Dean interrupted, "How do I get it away from Sam?"

"It has been five days since you discovered the hidden room?" Cas asked.

"Four," Dean reminded him.

"You must act quickly," the angel told him, "Lidércs are able to kill their victims within as little as five days."

"Tell me how to gank this thing!" Dean demanded, his concern for his brother growing.

"You must wait until nighttime," Castiel told him, "Only then will you be able to capture the creature. You need to turn off all the electric lights in the Bunker- you must not use anything electric or battery-powered, that's very important- and light a candle and bring it to Sam's room. You need to use the candle to illuminate the Lidérc and it will be paralyzed. You will be able to bring it down to the dungeon and place the candle in the lantern you found- carefully- and seal the room back up."

Dean's frown deepened, "But that's not killing it, only trapping it."

"You cannot kill the Lidérc, only trap it," Castiel told him, "Unfortunately."

"Hm," the hunter muttered, not much liking the sound of what the angel was telling him.

"Sam will get better though?" he asked and Castiel told him that once the monster was once again in the room beneath the stairs, his brother should recover.

"Should?" Dean asked.

"You are going to be cutting it very close," Cas told him, "There is a chance that Sam might not recover."

Dean closed his eyes for a moment.

"No, he'll get better," he insisted.

"I wish I could be there to help," the angel told him.

"I got this Cas," Dean assured him.

"Call me tomorrow," the angel said, "However it turns out."

"Sam will be fine," Dean replied, speaking more to himself than the angel.

Hanging up, the hunter closed the laptop and brushed his sibling's bangs away from his brow.

"Hang in there, Sammy," he whispered to his brother, "I'll be able to help you soon."

W

"Son of a bitch!" Dean swore as he pawed through the drawers in the Bunker's kitchen, finding nothing larger than tea lights. He already had the hammer he'd need but he hadn't thought about what kind of candle he might want until the last minute.

Sunset was ten minutes past and Dean knew his time was running out. Grinding his teeth in irritation, he grabbed a box of matches and a tea light before heading down the hallway to his brother's room, flicking off the light switches as he went, plunging the Bunker into darkness.

Standing in the doorway to San's room, Dean paused, listening for the sound of his brother's breathing. Panic coursed through him when at first he heard nothing but silence before a raspy, shallow breath from within sounded and Dean calmed down slightly. At least his brother was still alive, if barely.

Holding the tea light pinched between his thumb and first two fingers; Dean struck a match against the box and brought the lit end to the wick of the tiny candle.

For a moment it didn't seem like it would catch, the orange flame seeming to disappear before it flared up, bolstered by the tea light's wick.

Holding the tea light up, Dean stepped into the room, ignoring the warmth against his fingers.

The hunter wasn't prepared for what he saw perched on his sibling's chest. So shocked was Dean that he nearly dropped the candle in surprised.

The Lidérc was about the size of a toddler and looked like the bastard child of a bat and a hen. It had feathers like a chicken, but they were black and appeared to be coated with some oily substance. It had yellow eyes and beak that ended in a sharp hook. It's white, scaly legs had toes that ended in curved claws, which were dug deep into Sam's skin. Instead of the comically stubby wings of a chicken, larger bat wings sprouted from the monster's back. The comb on top of its head was the colour of fresh blood and pulsed grossly.

"What the-" Dean began but then stopped short as the monster's mean jaundiced eyes met his hazel ones.

The Lidérc opened its beak to reveal a tongue like an earthworm but no sound came out and it did not move. It took a second for the hunter to realize that the sight of the flame from the tea light must have paralyzed the monster.

Reaching out hesitantly, Dean picked up the creature with his free hand and tucked it beneath his arm, making sure that the candlelight shone directly into its face. The monster still did not move.

Peering at his silbing's prone form, Dean thought Sam looked even worse than he had earlier that day. The dark circles beneath his eyes seemed to have blackened considerably and his skin appeared stretched over the bones of his face, making him look skeletal. Dean waited for several seconds but he didn't hear his brother breathing.

Knowing that he may already be too late, he turned and ran down the hallway towards the dungeon, the flame fluttering in the wind caused by his rapid movement, his heart hammering in his chest, praying that he would have enough time.

Throwing open the door to the basement, Dean hurried downstairs, nearly falling twice, the candle's flame flickering and threatening to go out altogether.

"Oh no you don't," Dean warned and forced himself to slow down. Heart hammering, the hunter's feet touched the concrete floor and he turned sharply to his right, peering into the shadowy space beneath the stairs.

The tea light was very warm in Dean's hand, almost too hot to continue holding, so he knew he needed to act quickly. Crouching down, the Lidérc heavy beneath his arm, the hunter illuminated the small space under the stairs. It was just as they had left it.

Ducking his head, Dean stepped into the confined room, careful not to step on any of the symbols carved into the cement floor.

Carefully putting the monster on the floor, the hunter reached out and opened the door in the side of the lantern and placed the tea light inside. Closing the latch, Dean waited for a moment but nothing happened.

"Okay," he muttered slowly before the flame from the tea light flared so brightly that the hunter was forced to cover his eyes with his arm.

When the flame died down to normal and Dean lowered his arm, he saw that the chicken monster was gone. Letting out a breath, Dean decided that was a good sign and cautiously exited the room.

"Sucks to be you," Dean commented, closing the door to the room tightly, pulling the cord that turned on the overhead light before taking the time to firmly hammer the boards back onto the door with a ferocity borne of desperation.

W

Wiping sweat from his brow, Dean stood back and observed his handiwork. It was clear that there was something beneath the stairs but he didn't care. Maybe later he and Sam could drywall over the boards so no one would ever know there was a door there.

Thinking of Sam, Dean's heart skipped a beat when he realized that some time had passed and he didn't even know if his brother was all right.

"Idiot," Dean muttered and raced up the stairs and down the hallway to his sibling's room.

"Sammy! Hey Sammy! You'll never guess-" Dean stopped and stared at his brother's prone form. He didn't appear to have moved since Dean had left him with the Lidérc.

"Sammy?" Dean flicked on the light switch beside the door and stepped into the room, "Sam?"

Straining his ears, Dean struggled to hear his sibling breathe. There was silence.

"No…" Dean whispered, "No… no way… it… it worked… it had to… Cas said…"

Stumbling forward, the older sibling fell to his knees beside his brother's bed, grabbing one of Sam's hands in his own, only now feeling the sting of burns as his fingers brushed his sibling's cool skin.

"Sam? SAM!" Dean shouted, "Wake up!"

The younger man did not respond.

"SAMMY!" Dean shouted, inches from his brother's face, "SAMMY!"

Tears welled up in Dean's eyes. It couldn't end. Not like this. This wasn't fair. There was no way. This couldn't be.

Laying his head on his sibling's chest, Dean allowed his tears to spill unchecked.

"I'm sorry, Sammy," he whimpered, "I wasn't quick enough… I… I should have realized… something was wrong…"

Closing his eyes, the older Winchester gripped his brother's hand tightly, squeezing Sam's fingers as hard as he could.

A sudden cold touch on the back of his neck made the hunter jump.

"D'n," Sam's eyes were barely open, his lips hardly moving but he had indeed spoken.

"Sammy? Sammy!" Dean's heart leaped into his throat and he started to cry again, though now they were tears of happiness.

"I thought… I thought I was too late," Dean wrapped his arms around his brother's neck in a hug.

"So… did I," Sam whispered, barely audible.

Dean leaned back and wiped his face with the backs of his hands.

"What… what was it?" Sam asked but his brother shushed him.

"I'll tell you later," Dean assured him, brushing his bangs away from his brow lovingly, "You need your rest."

Sam's eyes slid closed, "Hm."

Dean smiled and although he knew he should get some sleep as well, did not leave his brother's side for the rest of the night, content just to watch the steady rise and fall of Sam's chest as he breathed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from a John 5 song.  
> Please take a moment to leave Kudos!

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter title comes from a song by Curtis Mayfield.  
> Please take a moment and leave Kudos or a Comment!


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